Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
There are a lot of social networking sites out there. There’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; but what about Pinterest, “The World’s Catalog of Ideas”
Pinterest members can create an unlimited number of themed virtual pinboards of products and ideas that they are interested in such as organization for example! In turn, these virtual boards can be followed by others and “pins” can be “repinned” onto their own boards. As social networking sites are pretty much all interlinked, your ideas can be shared with a wider audience that just those who are users of Pinterest.
As with almost everything, there are positives and negatives. No worries though, the positives far outweigh the negatives! Those negatives seem to vanish after the learning curve.
Let’s get those pitfalls out of the way first. I’ve been a Pinterest user for several years now and quickly learned the following things:
Now for the good stuff, otherwise known as the power of Pinterest!
– For example, create a board for your pantry which could use an overhaul! Give it a fun Name like Giddy Up, Tidy Up My Pantry!
– After creating the board, use the Description area as a place to keep measurements of the heights between shelves as well as the length and depth of the shelves. Add in any products that you think you’ll want, that are on the top of your head, so that you won’t forget to look for them later. Having this quick reference guide will come in handy as you are doing your shopping!
– Then decide if you want to keep the board a Secret! Maybe you’ll want the big reveal to show off on your other social media! You can share your secret with anyone you want though, these are your Collaborators.
However you decide to use Pinterest just have fun with it. Search for me at Open Doors Organizing Services…and keep an eye on that clock!
When was the last time you took everything out of the trunk and off of the floor of your car and really explored what is hanging out in there? Maybe you have some store returns to make that happen to be intermixed with fallen French fries, sticky soda bottles and stinky gym shoes…ick. It sounds like a scenario for those Febreze Car Fresheners!
On the next nice day when you can dedicate a few hours, head out to your car and follow these simple steps.
1) Remove EVERYTHING – Yes, I said everything! First, take out the bigger items from the floor and then the stuff from your glove compartment, center console, door pockets and trunk. Don’t forget to look in all those other nifty hidden compartments, as well. For now, keep these items in neat (or as neat as possible) piles in your garage, on the patio or in shopping bags.
2) Clean – Clean your interior windows including the front windshield, the rear window and the gauges. Next, dust and clean your dashboard. Finally, vacuum the floors and seats. If you haven’t done this process in a while, you may just prefer to head to the car wash and let them take care of it for you. A good car wash may be something worthwhile to get rid of that pesky pollen…achoo!
3) Trash/Recycle – Get a trash bag as well as another bag for recycling. Toss any items that are trash, like those fries! Recycle any maps or papers that aren’t needed, like expired car registration or insurance documents, soda cans and water bottles.
4) Sort – Go through the rest of the items and decide where they need to go, whether it is back in the car or into your house.
5) Organize – Keep some fabric storage bins with handles in your trunk and on the backseat. They are inexpensive and can surprisingly hold a lot. Five bins should be enough; you don’t want to fill up your entire car with them.
6) Maintain – Whenever you stop for gas, pop out the trash bag and toss it. Save the recycling items to take home if you don’t see a recycling bin. Keep some additional plastic grocery bags folded flat on the bottom of each bin.
7) Rejoice! – Look inside your newly cleaned car and get ready for those road trips. Then take a whiff. If it still stinks, quickly proceed to the nearest store and buy yourself an air freshener!
Happy travels wherever you are headed, near or far!
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Do you enjoy spending an afternoon crafting (otherwise lovingly known to me and my friends as a Crafternoon)?
Do your materials and supplies seem to multiply like Gremlins?
Do you buy more supplies because you can’t find the ones that you already have?
Do you dread clean up time because you don’t know where to put things? Or do you avoid it all together?
The good news is that as an artist, no matter what medium you work with or how messy you can get, you have a natural love of color. Using this to your advantage is one way of helping you to set up an organized system that will work for you, and one that you will also end up loving. Continue on and see how you can teach your creative brain to love order.
Using Color to Organize
For artists who work with mosaics (my craft of choice!), jewelry, fabric and yarn, this is a great method for organizing. Artists are visual beings and the tendency is to want to see everything in front of you. Organizing by color helps to curb the need to dump everything onto your work surface, by just choosing what color you need at the time and knowing the rest of the colors are just a quick glance away.
Using Categories to Organize
For artists who paint and draw, this may be the best method for you. All colors need to be exposed to you when you work, but you can organize by medium. Acrylics, oils, charcoal, colored pencils and pastels should be kept separate. By keeping this organizational system, you can easily keep track of what’s running low. More good news is that by taking care of your materials in this way (which can be expensive, right?) you can prolong their life and avoid having to buy replacements for colors that have gone missing. Imagine being in a creative zone, only to find that you are missing what you need. Ugh!
So now that we have discussed the different ways to organize, it’s time to find storage options that will work best for you. You can think outside of the box, and you don’t need to go for the expensive predictable storage options at craft stores like Michaels. As both an organizer and an artist, my passion lies in helping people get organized and finding creative storage solutions on the cheap.
If you work with a lot of different colors and categories, a smart solution is a good old fashioned clear plastic bin. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, yet offer the uniformity that makes for building a visually pleasing and calming organizational space. Found almost anywhere, and less expensive when bought in bulk, these beauties let you appreciate and enjoy what you have. If you are using color to organize, then let the color be the label for you. If you are using categories, create fun labels by painting ‘Acrylic Paints’ in acrylic, ‘Pastels’ in pastel, and so on, and then laminate them with an easy laminating kit that you can do at home.
Want to know how I organize my mosaics? Yes, I store some in clear plastic bins, but I also store some in a mosaic tiled dresser that I made! Yes, that’s it in the picture!
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Did you know that February, aside from being one month closer to Spring (hooray!), is “Pull Your Sofa off the Wall” month? This is the ideal time to shake things up a bit in your living room, especially since this is the time of year when people hibernate in their homes. This time of year is also known for the winter blues, no doubt in part from taking down cheery holiday lights and decorations.
So…what can you do? Aside from becoming a snowbird and heading to Florida, you can add some inexpensive and space saving items to brighten up your space, awaken your senses, and put a smile on your face. Take a look at my own living room to see how I have incorporated some of the following items:
Welcome Mat – For an instant mood booster, find a bright and cheery welcome mat to come home to after a long day at work. Look for inexpensive options at Target or Kohl’s. Also, consider lighting up the pathway to your welcome mat with solar lights that will soak up any sun that may have been out during the day.
Full Spectrum Light Bulbs – I wholeheartedly recommend sun lamps that are used to mimic the natural light from the sun, which is often in short supply in the winter. I have one next to my sofa that I use while I eat breakfast. Another inexpensive approach is to switch out the bulbs in your main reading lights for full spectrum bulbs, which can give off the same effect as sun lamps.
Mirrors – When the sun does appear, take note of where the sunlight streams onto the wall and if feasible, put a mirror there. Note the mirror art above my sofa, which is directly across from a window. This will reflect the sun and naturally make it seem like more sunlight is in the room. Plus, mirrors give off the feeling of a roomier space.
Candles – Find a signature scent that makes you feel calm and relaxed and light it every time you come to stay in the room for a while. Personally, I love the Cashmere Woods scent by Glade. It has a nice and light musky/woodsy smell, perfect for this time of year. Mine is centered in the room on my coffee table to let the scent spread evenly throughout the room.
Pillow Covers – Find decorative throw pillow covers to update and transform your atmosphere. I purposefully chose a neutral sofa and chair for that reason. Pillow covers are also much easier to store than several accent pillows from each season, and they can be freshened in the laundry. Try Bed, Bath and Beyond for a large selection and don’t forget your 20% off coupons! As you can see, I have chosen a turquoise theme; however, if I ever decide to change my accent color, it would be fairly easy.
Throw Blankets – Find throws that are comfy, soft and most importantly, will keep you warm on a cold winter’s night! When not in use, fold them up and place them on the back of your sofa.
Artwork – New prints on the wall along with a few knick knacks on your mantle will give your room a fresh perspective. Incorporate your accent color, as I have done here in turquoise.
I hope these ideas will give you something to think about while you are curled up on your sofa…and by the way, you don’t need to pull it off of the wall if you don’t want to.
Here’s to a warm, cozy and colorful season!
Look around everywhere you turn is clothing
It’s everywhere that you go [look around] You try everything you can to escape
The pain of piles that you know [piles that you know]
When all else fails and you long to be
Something better than you are today
I know a place where you can get away
It’s called The Container Store, and here’s what it’s for, so…
Come on, vogue
Let your body shop to the muzak [shop to the muzak]
Hey, hey, hey
Come on, vogue
Let your body go with the flow [go with the flow]
You know you can do it!
-By Madonna, and slightly tweaked by me! ☺
So…the holidays are over now. You’ve probably returned some clothes that you received (perhaps an ugly holiday sweater) but still kept some as well. Problem though…your closet is packed and there’s no room for even one more thing!
No worries, let’s take it step by step, so you don’t get overwhelmed! Do one step a day if you need.
Step 1 – Grab a trash bag and skim through the shelves and rods, and look for any items you obviously know that you don’t like to wear anymore, even if they fit fine. Put all the items in the bag(s), which you can take to consign (if you have expensive pieces) or donate. Immediately put the bag(s) in the trunk of your car. If they stay nearby, the level of temptation to put things back will be high. That’s why many Professional Organizers will offer to take your bags for you! Well that, plus we are just nice people who like helping others!
Step 2 – Shelf by shelf and with sections of hanging, bring the clothes out and set them on your bed. You are now going to look for items that are stained or ripped and beyond cleaning or repair. Again, if you have some expensive pieces, try your hand at a dry cleaner and a tailor. Otherwise, break out another trash bag and let those items go. Temptation isn’t nearly as high for this bag, right?!
Step 3 – Aside from the clothes that you like to wear left in the closet, there are bound to be many that you still hold onto for nostalgia’s sake or because you want them for when you can fit into them again. Perhaps you’ve heard the statistic that people wear only 20% of their clothing 80% of the time. Don’t worry…I’m not going to be too hard on you here! Purchase some clear bins (perhaps at The Container Store!) that can sit on the top shelves of your closet. Those clothes will be going in there for now. You’ll still be aware that those items are there, but they won’t be taking up your valuable space. Every few months, or at least in another year, pull the bins down to gauge your feelings about the clothing inside.
Step 4 – Now’s the time for some fun! Put those new clothes on and dance around (perhaps doing the Vogue!) as if it is your own small fashion show, and celebrate the fact that you now have room for these new pieces!
Step 5 – After regaining your composure and your breath (ha ha) you can put your clothing on the many empty hangers that you have made available.
Here’s to you and a happy and clutter-free New Year!
Now that the Super Bowl is over, wouldn’t it be great if you could pass the fun of football into the fun of organizing? Try following these game rules to motivate your household during your next home organizing project!
Huddle Up – Take on the role of Coach and gather the team (a.k.a. your family) on the couch. Get them running by warming up some Queso dip and letting the smells waft up to their rooms. You could even invite everyone to put on their favorite football jerseys.
Strategize – While you are munching, decide on a room to tackle, such as your living room. Make a plan; assign a specific task to each member of the team. For example, have the kids put their toys and games away while the adults go through the mail, sorting out the junk mail from the bills and other important papers.
Snap into Play – Set a timer for 15 minutes, which is a good amount of time to get a task done, or to work on a task without it being overwhelming. Coincidentally, it is also the length of time of a quarter in a football game! Then move on to another task for an additional 15 minutes.
Halftime – Time for a break and some entertainment! Have some snacks and drinks, play a board game, or watch a show that everyone will enjoy.
Snap into Play (again) – Repeat two more tasks, each lasting 15 minutes. If you are having fun and can’t seem to stop, just consider it as overtime!
Touchdown for the Win! – Congrats! You are the winning team! But just remember, whomever wins goes on to play another game — there is another room to organize in your near future!
